Don't Die on me!
by Maria65
Summary: Keaton has been forced to use a last-resort-move...but at what cost. The demon's have forced her hands, and she will do anything to protect her friends...and her mate. But what will happen once her friends see what she's done? Has her sacrifice been in vain? Or did she truly save them. Keaton belongs to me, rated T for blood and fight.


Red...that's all she could see as it flashed before her eyes. Red and brown. The red even got on her face as her eyes widened it horror.

"NO!" Keaton shouted, and ran toward him, looking to see he was holding his gut as the blood spilled.

She glanced back toward the others and saw them all fighting. Emil and Marta were fighting side by side while Tenebrae issued out orders to his four monsters. Zelos and Sheena had gotten over their arguing and were now helping in the fighting. Raine and Regal were fighting side by side as well, taking on a small group on their own. Raine and Presea fought side by side, doing well on their own. Colette ran over to them while Keaton nudged Lloyds' face.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Colette asked, and he looked at her.

"I'll be fine." Lloyd said, and tried to lift himself, but couldn't.

"Don't move, I'll heal you." Colette said, as Raine had taught her how to heal.

Keaton watched with a worried expression, before she growled, and stood behind Colette growling at the monster before them. It dare have the idea to attack her?! Keaton knew it was futile though. She was too weak to use any moves and risked killing herself to do so. She created a small blue flame before shooting it though, but that made her stumble and her vision blur.

 _'No, not like this...'_ Keaton thought and looked at Colette and Lloyd.

"Colette, get Lloyd out of here." Keaton said, and she looked at her, and shook her head.

"I...I can't just leave you." Colette said, tears starting to appear.

"You klutz, if you don't leave with Lloyd, you'll both be killed. Go, NOW!" Keaton growled out, and Colette nodded.

She picked Lloyd up, and ran out of the battle, knowing Keaton wanted them to be safe. The Ginnungagap may be closed, but when it had opened for that short time, a few demons escaped. Emil, and Marta had contacted everyone they knew and had gone on a journey to hunt them done, hoping to defeat them before they got stronger.

"KEATON!" Regal shouted as a demon came at her from behind.

"Oh no you don't!" Emil shouted, and charged, slicing at the demon, and keeping it back.

Keaton smiled, and defeating the demon before her with some difficulty. Tenebrae smiled as he defeated another demon, and looked at Keaton before gasping. She was gonna get hurt.

"Keaton, watch out!" he shouted, running to save his mate.

Keaton gasped as she looked behind her, and to her sides, and before her...they had her where they wanted her. Tenebrae attacked the demons himself, using his own attacks and methods. Keaton smiled as he stood over her, and she tried to recover her strength. Tenebrae tried to call one of his monsters over, but cursed as it fell down defeated. Suddenly Tenebrae got knocked off of Keaton and hit a tree. Keaton gasped as she shot up, and Tenebrae got hit by another demon, and he fell down defeated, but not to where he returned into a core form. Keaton looked around, before screaming for everyone. Emil ran toward Marta as she got defeated, and he tried to protect her, but it was futile as he was defeated as well, his body laying over hers as a shield. The same happened to Sheena and Zelos, but Sheena got stabbed by a demons claws.

"SHEENA!" Zelos shouted, fear clutching his heart.

He tried to protect her with his body, and was defeated in the process. A gash went from his left shoulder, to under his right ribs. Regal was kicked into Raine, knocking them both out at the same time. Then Genis and Presea were defeated; Genis was attacked by his own attack from a demon, and it pushed him back, but then he protected Presea, taking a sword through the stomach, and he fell defeated. Presea tried to protect him, but was defeated by claws stabbing her waist.

"Guys! Wake up, guys!" Keaton shouted, as the demons turned toward her.

"No..." Keaton said softly as she saw Emils' bleeding back.

"No..." Keaton said a bit louder, as she saw Zelos bleeding from his mouth.

"No..." Keaton stated harshly, her fog begin to appear around her.

"Not them." Keaton said as she saw a bleeding Sheena and Presea.

"Not them." Keaton said, as her eyes turned completely red and she saw Genis bleeding.

"Why them?" Keaton stated, harshly, as she remembered seeing Regal hit Raine.

"WHY THEM?!" Keaton shouted, as fog overtook her body, and she reverted to a demon.

"Now, you all will pay...with your lives!" Keaton shouted, and attacked them.

The demons gasped, and tried to counter, but Keaton was too swift, and too ferocious. She attacked one of the eight demons, and sank her teeth into it's throat, before using her black flames to hit the bleeding wound, scorching the insides. Then she attacked two others with black fox fire. She ran toward the center, and growled as the two stood back up, meaning 7 were still able to fight. Keaton lowered her head, and the fog faded away and she returned to being a monster.

 _'I have no choice.'_ Keaton thought, and placed a shield around her friends.

"Sorry Lloyd, but...I don't think I'll be returning home." Keaton mumbled as she closed her eyes.

She lowered her head as the wind shifted, making her fur move in waves. The demons stopped and looked around, confused. Keatons' body was outlined in a blue glow as the ground she stood on glowed blue as well. She slowly lifted her head, keeping her eyes closed. The wind picked up in speed and slowly began to swirl around her, but you could still see her. A blue flame began to form above Keaton, and slowly began to grow bigger...the demons were frozen in fear. Keaton looked at them, and her eyes were completely red. She growled lowering her head again, and howled as the flame grew bigger, and she felt her strength begin to leave her.

 _'No...keep going.'_ Keaton thought.

Keaton gave a sad, weak smile as blood leaked from her mouth.

"It's done. I'm sorry Lloyd...I wish I could tell you I was grateful to all the times we were together." Keaton said as the memories went through her mind.

"I wish I could say: 'It'll be alright, and we'll go home together'...but I can't." Keaton said and sadly close her eyes before opening them again, and they were normal.

"I hope you can forgive me...for not saying goodbye. Sorry Tenebrae. I know you wanted to have a future with me, and a litter of pups...but it won't happen. This is my last breathe of life. I hope you can forgive me, and keep going forward. Everyone, I'm sorry for what has happened. I will never forget the memories we all had and shared. And Tenebrae..." Keaton had the memories of them all flash through her mind, and then her gaze landed on her lover, Tenebrae.

"I will always love you." Keaton said, and shoot the blue flame at the demons, before falling down, lifeless.

 **Later:** Lloyd stumbled onto the clearing as the dust and smoke settled. He and Colette had come to help, but found their friends just getting up, and getting the dust, dirt, and ashes off of them. He waved a hand in front of his face to get the smoke away from him.

"Emil, are you okay?" Lloyd shouted at the blonde who was like a brother.

"Yeah, what about you? For some reason, I'm healed." Emil shouted back, and Lloyd nodded.

For some reason everyone was completely healed, but then Colette gasped. Where was Keaton?

"Keaton, where are you?" Colette shouted, and everyone gasped.

"Keaton, can you hear me?!" Zelos shouted.

"Answer us Keaton!" Genis and Sheena shouted.

"Mrs. Paw-Pads, where are you?" Presea shouted, using her nickname, knowing that always got a reaction.

"Keaton, please answer us!" Regal shouted.

"If you hear us Keaton, please answer!" Raine shouted.

"Keaton!" Colette and Marta shouted.

"Answer us!" Emil and Lloyd shouted.

"Keaton! Ke-" Tenebrae was cut short as he saw a flash of gold.

He squinted and saw it was Keaton, before he gasped. Ashes, and dirt laid on her, as did crimson blood. He ran toward her, and nudged her face. When she didn't respond, and tried again, but got no response. He began shaking his head, and softly calling her name, but she gave no sign of moving.

"NO!" Tenebrae shouted, making the others run to him.

"Tenebrae, what's-?!" Emil gasped as he saw Tenebrae laying over Keaton, crying.

It was the first time any of them had seen the Centurion of Darkness cry, and over a former demon, but they knew why. She was his mate, but they saw why he was crying though. She was covered in scar, and burn marks, and she seemed...lifeless. Raine and the other healers of the group ran over to heal her, while Tenebrae whispered for her to come back. Lloyd fell to his knee's when he got to her, and cupped her face, before crying out in agony.

"KEATON!" Lloyd shouted, and balled his hands into fists before punching the hard ground, causing his fist to bleed from the impact.

"No...Keaton..." Emil said and sank to his knee's.

Regal choked a sob back, and held a hand to his face. Genis noticed Presea crying, and held her, as she pushed her face into his chest, trying to control her sobs. Colette knelt down to Lloyd as he gave a sob, and hugged him, even as she cried. Sheena began crying into her hands, even as Zelos held her and kept using **Healing Wind**. Raine kept repeatedly used **Heal** and **Revive** , and Marta kept using **Resurrection**.

"Keaton...please come back to me." Tenebrae whispered into her ear, hoping she would respond.

After hours of trying, they stopped, completely empty of magic to keep going. Tenebrae cried harder as did they all; Raine fell to her knee's, and began sobbing, and Regal knelt down to her, and hugged her. Zelos fully hugged Sheena and cried with her, while Emil and Marta hugged one another as they cried.

Unknown to them all, Keaton opened one of her red eyes, and looked around, her vision blurry. Their healing spells paid finally paid off; she shifted a bit, and Tenebrae gasped, and looked at her face, only to see her close her eyes, and try to move.

"K-Keaton?" He asked, hoarse, and they all looked at him.

Keaton moved again, and tried to stand, but Tenebrae sprung into action, and made her lay down, standing over her and shaking his head. Raine gasped, and gave some Apple Gels to Keaton before she searched for Lemon Gels. Keaton ate a few, before eating a Lemon Gel, and feeling her strength slowly return.

"I...figured myself...t-to be dead." Keaton stated weakly, her voice finally returning.

"Keaton...what did you do?" Emil asked, wiping his eyes as did everyone else.

"I used Fox-Fire Oblivion; a move that only I know. It...it consumes the life of...the user, and releases...it...it all...into a single blast." Keaton said, and drew a deep breathe, before slowly releasing it.

"Why such a d-dangerous move?" Sheena asked.

"I had no choice." Keaton stated, and they sighed.

They helped patch her up, and got her back home. On the walk back home, Lloyd stopped Keaton, knelt and hugged her.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! I almost lost you too many times Keaton, and I really don't want to truly lose you." Lloyd said, and she nodded.

Lloyd walked faster to reach Colette as did Keaton, and then Tenebrae appeared beside her, and got her on his back.

"Wha-?" Keaton was cut off as Tenebrae chuckled, and licked her cheek, and she smiled.

She knew that as long as she had her friends, as long as she had Tenebrae, she would be alright. She would never have to go to extreme's like that again, for she knew they would all only get stronger.


End file.
